Association Management Industry Reports Green Meetings on the Rise, Despite Down Economy

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a new survey of companies that manage associations and not-for-profit organizations, four out of five meetings in 2008 were “greener” than in 2007. In addition, one-third of organizations planning meetings are willing to increase their expense budgets to ensure a greener meeting. AMC Institute, the trade association that represents the Association Management Company (AMC) industry, today released results from a new survey of its members. The AMC industry books 29,000 meetings per year, translating to nearly 2 million room nights and $1 billion in meetings and conventions services annually.

“In the tightening economy, where for-profit and not-for-profit companies alike are cutting back on resources and programming, it’s impressive that one-third of associations surveyed are increasing meeting budgets in the name of sustainability,” said John Francis, president of the AMC Institute board of directors. “As the results show, AMC-managed associations are committed to social responsibility and are making the most of their meetings platform – increasingly greening materials and meeting activities, and sending an eco-friendly message to millions of attendees.”

According to the Green Meeting Industry Council, a green meeting incorporates environmental considerations to minimize negative impact on the environment. This goes beyond the basic “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” mantra to include other innovative, eco-friendly activities. For example, many meeting planners are going ‘paperless’ – using electronic communications to drive attendance, taking registration online, and advertising via the Web. When printed materials are necessary, they’re published on recycled paper, on both sides of the page, using soy or vegetable-based inks.

Meeting attendees are encouraged to ‘eat right’ and ‘drink responsibly.’ Many green meetings offer guests a taste of locally grown or sustainably-sourced foods, and serve pitchers of purified water instead of individual bottles.

And at the end of the day, green meeting planners save energy by coordinating with the venue to turn off lights and air conditioning when rooms are not in use.

“AMCs are a natural choice for organizations that want to pursue a green meeting strategy and those that want to maximize efficiency and return on investment,” Francis said. “By design, the AMC model allows client services to be customized to meet specific goals. Because AMCs manage more than one not-for-profit, their experience and knowledge base are broad and substantial.”

Many AMCs serve as client headquarters, managing day-to-day operations and providing staff members who are experts in various management functions. For not-for-profit organizations that already have a staff in place, or do not require full-time staff year-round, AMCs provide a range of specialized consulting services, including meeting planning, that can be tapped as needed.

For more on the benefits of partnering with an AMC, visit www.AMCInstitute.org.

Survey results span more than 400 associations and not-for-profit organizations, represented by 30 AMC Institute-member AMCs and vendors and suppliers to the association industry.